


Ivory Keys

by linguistphil



Category: Storm and Silence Series - Robert Thier
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pianist, Brief mention of a kiss, F/M, I don't know what to tag this with, It's just a soft evening for the two of them, Mr Ambrose showing just a tiny bit of feelings, Mr Ambrose's parents' house, nothing is different except Mr Ambrose knows how to play the piano
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-03 05:59:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10961148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/linguistphil/pseuds/linguistphil
Summary: "I don't play for people.""Then don't play for me. Play in front of me, and I'm just going to listen."AU where Rikkard Ambrose knows how to play the piano and Lilly finds out about it.





	Ivory Keys

**Author's Note:**

> This idea just suddenly struck me while I was playing the piano and I had to write it. I was originally going to write all this as headcanons but it got too long and I wanted to add dialogue so I turned it into a fic. Also, this is my first time writing fanfiction for Storm and Silence so I hope you enjoy!

Mr Ambrose hadn't shown up at the dinner table, and his family knew it would be better not to disturb him while he wished to be alone. But when he didn't make an appearance at all after several hours, his mother asked Lilly to go find him and try to talk to him. She knew Lilly was the best person to go to him right now because he tends to be quite calm around her. So she agreed, and headed towards the room she last saw him enter to check if he was still there.

When she got there, she reached for the door knob, but stopped right away when she heard something. Listening closely, it became clear that it was... music? More accurately, it was the sound of a piano being played. Surely, Mr Ambrose couldn't be in there unless the music was coming from somewhere else, right? But she was certain he was in there; she hadn't seen him leave the room since he entered.

She didn't know what to expect when she very slowly and quietly opened the door and went in. The room was only dimly lit, with the only light being that of the moon from outside the window. It took a while before her eyes became adjusted to it, however, when she was able to make out what was in front of her, she wasn't sure she was seeing things correctly.

Right there, sitting in front of a piano, was Mr Ambrose, his fingers playing something which seemed incredibly complex, but sounded beyond beautiful. Lilly stood still, unable to move, watching him for what must have been a whole minute before she finally came back to her senses. When she noticed she hadn't closed the door yet, she pushed it back, although not so quietly this time. It was then that Mr Ambrose's playing was met with an abrupt off-key note as he quickly turned his head towards the door.

“Who—Mr Linton! What are you doing here?” He must have really been into his playing to only notice Lilly now.

It had been a really long time since Lilly had last felt lost for words, but that seemed to currently be the case. She looked at him, trying to think of anything to say.

“Mr Linton? Do not waste my time with your staring.”

“ _You_  play the piano, Sir?” she finally managed to speak.

He deigned no reply.

“Why did you stop, though?”

“You interrupted me.”

“Well, you can resume your playing now,” she prompted.

“I don't play for people.”

She moved a few steps closer and stood next to him.

“Then don't play  _for_  me. Play in front of me, and I'm just going to listen.” She tilted her head slightly, waiting for an answer.

But he gave no reply—not a verbal one, at least. Instead, he looked intently at the keys that lay in front of him, a battle of whether or not he should really do this going through his head. But it seemed that he'd decided on the former, as his fingers, which had come to rest on his lap earlier, moved up to touch the keys. A beautiful contrast; his long, elegant fingers on the white ivory. Rikkard Ambrose, a man who always gave off an icy, powerful aura, looked almost delicate, one might even dare say gentle, the moment his fingers pressed down on the keys.

The silence which had filled the room seconds ago was replaced by a wonderful composition of notes.

Lilly wasn't sure whether he had picked off from where he left, or if he had started an entirely new piece. But that didn't matter. In fact, nothing else  _could_  matter while a masterpiece such as the one Mr Ambrose was playing, could be heard. His fingers moved with such grace she never would have imagined him capable of. And amidst all of that, she was lost. In the music, his fingers or his eyes, she was not sure, but she was lost.

Minutes that felt like hours passed, and his playing slowed down until it eventually came to an end.

Where only a moment ago he had appeared calm and at ease, he now looked tense. He dared not glance at Lilly. Admittedly, he had never played the piano in front of a single person before. It was the kind of thing he kept for himself, and a way for him to express feelings not even he could understand at times. So why had he agreed to let someone in on something as personal as such?

He took a deep breath, and without looking up, he muttered, “That is it.”

Lilly's eyes didn't leave him for an instant.

“You should do that more often.”

“Do what, exactly?”

“Express yourself like that,” she said, like it was the most obvious thing.

“I didn't.” It almost sounded like he stuttered a little. Almost.

“Yes, you did.” She titled her head to the side and leaned closer to his face to get a good look at his eyes. He avoided her gaze. “I can see it.”

“I don't pay you to see through me, Mr Linton.”

“I know,” she whispered, her breath hot, her lips lingering. “I do it because I want to.”

Only now did Mr Ambrose meet her eyes with his.

“Fair enough,” he said, almost inaudibly, and closed the small gap left between them.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment and tell me what you think!


End file.
